LA VIE D'ABORD,
labDV newsletter
Contents:
- DVDx user experience: tips and tricks from DVDx user support
- Software: new DivX 6.7 codec
- Software: Roxio has released Easy Media Creator 10
- Software: Nero to release Nero 8 soon
- Hardware: upcoming USB 3.0 to boost peripherals
- Hardware: Graphics Accelerators Performance during Media Playback
- Friends top ten: sites who link to labDV.com
- Software at labDV.com: September updates
- VIP Pass: get DVDx updates with 2-year VIP Pass renewal
September 30th, 2007
1. DVDx user experience: tips and tricks from DVDx user support
I've picked up a bunch of tips and tricks from the DVDx user support forum and I wish it will help you.
Audio/video synchro or choppy sound
A/V issues appear only for NTSC movies, this is due to the NTSC frame rate which is coded at 24, 29.97 or 30Hz on the DVD and played at 30 or 24Hz. This is the most annoying issue we're facing and so far DVDx can't detect and fix it automatically for sure.
First of all, cleanup you Xvid installation:
- if you're encoding to Xvid, try to uninstall all Xvid installation (ref.3) and delete any remaining Xvid file (xvid.ax, xvidcore.dll, xvidvfw.dll) then install a new Xvid codec (Keopi's binaries recommended).
Hereafter a few tips which work (ref.1):
- select 30Hz and detect 24hz in DVDx input settings
- ensure to select a 6-channel AC3 audio track (not a 2-channel)
- unselect audio/video synchronization
Another workaround is to encode all the movie "by chapter", so you get a unique movie file but DVDx will reset audio/video synchro at every chapter avoiding big glitches (ref.2):
- select Custom chapter in Output settings and set one big volume with all chapters
Even more tips which have been reported to be helpful:
- set audio conversion to "High Quality 48 to 44Hz"
- select "Lame mp3 192K/bits"
You may report us any new annoying A/V synchro issue on the dedicated topic in DVDx forum.
Latest update
- Advanced users can update Lame ACM codec to 3.98 beta 5, so they can select it in DVDx output settings (AVI/DivX/Xvid audio).
Download:
- DVDx standard version "ripper free" (and sources) available from Source Forge.
- DVDx Ultra Edition (and all versions and sources) available from DVDx download page for VIP members only.
2. Software: new DivX 6.7 codec
DivX.com has released its new 6.7 community codec.
What’s new in the latest DivX Codec:
- Support for formal 1080HD profile
- Improved compression for 1080i video
- Support for additional aspect ratios common in HDV, DVCPRO HD and AVCHD
- Easy picture format conversions
- Our fastest ever DivX video decoder
Experimental support for SSE4 on Intel Penryn CPUs
The latest DivX Codec includes a new feature designed to take advantage of the new instructions in the new Intel Penryn line of processors. Just in case you haven’t managed to get your hands on one of these unreleased prototypes yourself, we’re publishing some of our own test results.
3. Roxio has released Easy Media Creator 10
The new Roxio Easy Media Creator 10 gives you creative inspiration and all the tools you need to enhance your digital lifestyle. Create, share and enjoy your movies, memories and music as only you can.
- A 3 step wizard lets you auto-edit your movie. Then upload to YouTube in one click or put it on DVD.
- Capture and edit HD video and add surround sound playback.
- Record internet radio, batch convert files, backup your iPod and more.
- Enhance photos and video taken on your mobile devices and use them in projects with your other media.
- Certified for Windows Vista and fully supports Windows XP.
Easy Media Creator 10 includes VideoWave 10 which fully supports HD format. Encode HD video faster than ever and preview your movie in real time.
4. Software: Nero to release Nero 8 soon
Nero 8 will be released in October, you can pre-order now and get Nero 7 Ultra Edition free.
What's expected new in Nero 8
- NEW easy-to-use and intuitive Nero StartSmart
- One-click import and share to/from online communities
- Playback on AVCHD and Blu-ray (BD-AV) video
- Backup files to CDs, DVD’s, HD DVDs and Blu-Ray discs
- Optimized for Windows Vista™
- Convert DVD Files to play on your iPod® or PSP™, and other portable devices
5. Hardware: upcoming USB 3.0 to boost peripherals
The "SuperSpeed" USB Promotions Group was announced this month at the Intel Developer Forum. The promotions group will get together with contributors over the next year to finalize a USB 3.0 spec that will, they hope, take care of our wired peripheral and syncing needs for another five years or more.
USB 3.0 is built upon, and is backwards-compatible with, the USB 2.0 "High Speed" spec. The spec should be finalized sometime in the middle of 2008, with initial devices available in '09, and broad deployment by 2010.
The main two goals of SuperSpeed USB are to provide a 10X boost in transfer rate (from 480-Mbits/s in USB 2.0 to 4.8 Gbits/s in USB 3.0), while dramatically lowering power consumption. One example of their speed goals is to transfer a 27GB HD movie to a portable device in 70 seconds. The same thing would take 15 minutes or more with HighSpeed USB (2.0). The SuperSpeed devices will use the same connectors and the same programming and device models as existing devices.
More at Intel Developer Forum...
6. Hardware: Graphics Accelerators Performance during Media Playback
X-bit Laboratories (xbitlabs.com) has tested graphics accelerators performance during video playback. We've picked up MPEG-2 DVD / MPEG-2 HD and H.264 results from there, where you can read all details.
It seems that all graphics cards, except for the ATI Radeon HD 2900 XT, handle the task well enough, yet it’s not so. As a matter of fact, the GeForce 7950 GX2, and every other graphics card with a 7900 series chip, cannot play a MPEG2 HD stream really well despite the seemingly low CPU load. It is skipping frames and producing a jerky image. Thus, the GeForce 7900 series doesn't suit for playing MPEG2 HD today.
The CPU load is always low when we’re dealing with 720p format, except for the GeForce 8800 GTS, but when it comes to 1080p we can see that top-performance graphics solutions have in fact no hardware acceleration of video decoding.
7. Friends top ten: sites who link to labDV.com
This rubric is to thanks labDV friends who link their web sites to labDV.com:
- DVD/CDソフトウェアカテゴリ
Lonely Cat Games- お得ＷＥＢ
- 無料のDVD圧縮変換ツール I-2
- フリーソフトのダウンロードコミュ！おすすめフリーソフトが集結
- TAM indir
- Doom9.org
- DownloadVergelijker
- 【ＰＣ元気1】フリーソフトの使い方を図解で詳しく解説（第1倉庫）
- Digital Digest
Major search engine aren't part of this list (Google, Yahoo!, MSN, Excite and Web Crawler).
8. Software at labDV.com
Now there are 229 software available from labDV.com, most of them are freeware.
New software added in August and September
We've reviewed all audio and authoring software to update our database, other sections will follow soon.
In Audio (compression and editing), Lame beta (compiled by Rarewares) has been updated to Lame 3.98 beta 5 (encoder, ACM codec and DirectShow filter). Audacity, the powerful open-source freeware to edit and encode audio, has been updated to Audacity 1.2.6.
In Authoring DVD and (S)VCD, the major update is Roxio Easy media Creator 10, a demo version of DVD Junior has been uploaded and the Nero InfoTool utility has been updated to 4.4.0.0 release.
In video codecs, we've updated DivX codec to DivX 6.7 and the bundle is available for download.
In video editing , we've updated VirtualDub to VirtualDub 1.7.4 (32-bit, 64-bit and source code).
Latest software updates
- Audio (compression and editing)
- Lame ACM Codec 3.98 beta 5
- Lame (beta) 3.98 beta 5
- Audacity 1.2.6
- Lame 3.98 beta 5 DirectShow Filter 3.98 beta 5
- Lame (beta) 3.98 beta 5
- Authoring DVD and (S)VCD
- Nero Info tool 4.4
- Easy Media Creator 10 10
- DVD Junior 1.2
- Easy Media Creator 10 10
- Video codecs
- DivX Bundle 6.7
- Video editing
- VirtualDub 1.7.4 src
- VirtualDub 1.7.4
- VirtualDub 1.7.4 x64
- VirtualDub 1.7.4
9. VIP Pass: get DVDx updates with 2-year VIP Pass renewal
You can extend your current VIP Pass for 1 year or 2 years for $29.90 or $49.90 (19.90€ or 34.90€).
We hope this will help you to get more connected on DVDx updates and help us to sustain the development efforts so we can initiate a DVDx 3 major release...
With a VIP Pass, you'll access the whole labDV library, a lot of Digital Video articles and how-to's as well as a huge Digital Video software database, most of them are free. And you will navigate DVDx web site as MyDVDx and all its features.
The 1-Year VIP Pass is only US$ 39.90 (€29.90) and joining us is a strong support for all our efforts such as our ambitious new 2007 roadmap for DVDx!
And you can also currently join us for US$19.90 (€14.90) for a 3-months VIP Pass.
Support us: from time to time , we're sustaining our continuous efforts to develop DVDx software so the 1-Year Pass is likely the best deal for now as well as the 2-Year Pass extension.
